An election officer carries a ballot box through a slum area in Yogyakarta, Central Java, during preparations for Indonesia’s presidential election on July 9.

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Voters in Indonesia headed to the polls Wednesday to choose their next president in what was shaping up to be a watershed moment for the world’s third-largest democracy. The two candidates – Jakarta Gov. Joko Widodo and former army general Prabowo Subianto – display vastly different backgrounds and temperaments, but each has garnered a solid support base, with pollsters saying the race would be down to a few percentage points.

Whoever wins will take office at a time when economic growth in Southeast Asia’s biggest economy has been moderating, the gap between rich and poor is widening and many people under 30 – a third of the 190 million registered voters – have little memory of life under former autocrat Suharto, who stepped down in 1998 after 32 years of iron-fisted rule.

The streets are quiet and the sun is shining in Jakarta as voters head to a pivotal poll 16 years after long-running autocrat Suharto stepped down from power. Remnants of last week’s campaigning are still visible around the city.

Jakarta is normally a bustling city by 7 a.m. on a weekday. Voting day is a holiday in Indonesia and going to the polls is often a family affair. That meant the main streets were practically empty, with a group of cyclists taking the chance to zoom down a main thoroughfare that would normally be jammed with traffic.

“We are expecting around 660 voters today,” said Nainun Sunanda, head of local polling station 005 in Rawajati, Jakarta. ”In the last legislative election 70% of registered voters showed up, but we expect to serve more voters today. We have prepared the poll station since yesterday morning. We have gathered again this morning since 6,” he added.

There are three polling stations in this area and they are expecting more than 2,200 voters today.

In Bojong Koneng, a hilltown outside Jakarta, people are already lining up here to cast their vote or wait for a glimpse of Mr. Subianto, known best simply as Prabowo. The presidential hopeful is expected to cast his vote here at 8 a.m. and a few dozen police and neighborhood security guards are on hand already to provide security. Mr. Subianto’s expansive villa sits on a hill nearby the station.

Voters send out tweets as they head to the polls. Social media has played a huge role in mobilizing voters during this election in a country with 69 million Facebook users and a large and growing presence on Twitter.

Polling stations have invited witnesses to check that ballot papers are in good condition. They’ve also posted directions on how to vote and have posters with both candidates’ photos and a brief outline of their platforms.

Indonesian workers pack the ballot papers as they print it for the upcoming presidential elections in Jakarta on June 14.

Nearly 194 million ballots will be available at 478,593 polling stations across Indonesia, a country of more than 8,000 named islands that spans a distance of nearly 3,000 miles, greater than the stretch of the continental U.S. In addition, 2.1 million polling booths have been set up and more than 1 million ballot boxes delivered to some of the most remote parts of the country.

Mr. Subianto made an appearance just before the kickoff of the World Cup semifinal match between Germany and Brazil last night. Draped in a red and white running jacket (the colors of the Indonesian flag), he was seen watching the game along with hundreds of other football fans at a country club near his home in Bogor, south of Jakarta.

The former Army Special Forces Commander told local media he was supporting Brazil, the host country, which lost to Germany 1-7.

Millions of Indonesians are tuning into World Cup matches being aired by television stations owned by the family of conglomerate Aburizal Bakrie, chairman of the Golkar Party, which is a member of the coalition supporting Mr. Subianto.

In Biak Numfor regency in the easternmost province of Papua, 249 polling stations are set to take part in the vote. They are expecting nearly 93,000 people to participate, according to local news reports. As of 7 a.m. local time (5 a.m. Jakarta time), the streets in the regency were still empty, with many still watching post-match analysis following the World Cup semifinal between Germany and Brazil, Antara news agency reported.

An Election officer shows ballot papers during vote counting of the Indonesia presidential election at a polling station on July 9, in Denpasar, Indonesia.

Presidential elections are easier to understand for many voters since they only receive one ballot paper. In legislative elections, which took place here in April, each voter casts a vote at the local and national level, meaning they get three ballot papers and have far more names to choose from.

The latest survey from the Indonesian Survey Institute, which was conducted between July 2-5 showed Mr. Widodo leading by a narrow 3.6%, with a substantial 8% of voters still undecided.

“In our view, this points to, at best, a stable but still-narrow margin of victory for Jokowi that corroborates other, more credible surveys,” Nomura Holdings wrote in a morning news note today. “It remains a very close race.”

This is the first time 21-year-old Monica Apriyani is voting. She arrived at her polling station in Cibinon, Bogor, at 7 a.m., promptly as it opened. “All I want is a good leader,” she said, not revealing who she had voted for.

Citizens are eligible to vote if they are 17 years of age, or are married or divorced. Around 30% of all registered voters are between the ages of 17 and 29, making the youth vote in this election particularly important.

Businesses around Jakarta are offering discounts and other perks to customers who can prove they have voted by showing their finger, which is dipped in purple ink after they’ve cast their ballot. The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf is offering buy 1 get 1 free beverages, as is Baskin Robbins. Starbucks is giving out free tea. Movie buffs can get 30% off tickets if they feel like kicking back after voting.

Inen Setiawan, a 43-year-old security guard from the village where presidential contender Prabowo Subianto lives, said he will vote for Mr. Subianto because the former army general paid for his daughter’s high-school fees.

“He’s very helpful to the local people here,” said Mr. Setiawan. Poll attendants say 713 voters are registered at the station, with dozens already queuing up. Mr.Subianto is expected to vote later this morning.

The top hashtag is part of a call out from a team of volunteers supporting Mr. Widodo. It’s been relying on social media and email blasts to get people involved. This morning it sent out a message telling keep an eye on the elections in their neighborhoods and to make sure to check their ballots before voting.

“If your ballot is damaged or torn, instantly ask for a new one,” it says. “Punch the box for #2, not outside the box because then your vote won’t count.”

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It reminds voters not to forget to take selfies at the polling station and, of course, to send around the hastag, # Rame2Celup2Jari, throughout the day.

This is Indonesia’s first presidential race featuring only two candidates, and importantly, the first exchange of power between two directly elected presidents. In 2004, the first direct presidential election, five candidates contested. Five years later, in 2009, the race was down to three.

Security forces and election officials use horses to help distribute ballot boxes ahead of July 9th’s presidential election, to villages on the slopes of Raung mountain, Bondowoso in East Java.

In a presidential election, ballots must arrive at individual polling stations one day before the election, according to regulations. That’s not always easy in a sprawling archipelago like Indonesia, where infrastructure is paltry or non existent in places.

“We have very difficult geography, we have many mountains, many islands; while some streets are not accessible by car, by truck,” said Arief Budiman, a commissioner with the Indonesian Elections Commission, which oversees the vote. “We have to deliver the [ballots and boxes] by motorcycle and some of them by horse. Some of them we have to carry on our shoulders.”

Indonesian military personnels line up during a security preparation drill for the upcoming presidential elections in Jakarta on July 7.

More than 250,000 police will oversee today’s polls with the military adding more than 30,000 personnel in a supporting role.

Elections in Indonesia have largely been peaceful affairs since Mr. Suharto was ousted in the late 1990s. This election, however, has proved especially divisive and the military says its keeping a close watch on the densely populated region of central Java, the country’s main island.

“If the margin [of victory] is thin, we will increase alertness, but if the gap is more than 5%, it will be safer,” said Army Gen. Budiman. “No matter how minor the violence might be, it must be met indiscriminately with strong action.”

Who are voters choosing between? On one side is Prabowo Subianto, Prabowo Subianto, a former military man who moved up the ranks to general of the special armed forces during the rule of autocrat Suharto, his then father in law. He has ties to the country’s business elite, a formidable political machine backing him. On the other is Joko Widodo, who comes from humble roots in the mid-sized city of Solo. He started a successful furniture exporting business before becoming mayor of his city and then governor of Jakarta, where he has won fans through his visits to local neighborhoods and personal inspections of infrastructure projects.

Read our short profiles of the candidates and their running mates for more.

Indonesia’s Elections Supervisory Board said its members are closely monitoring polling stations across the county. The board has deployed between one and five supervisors in every sub-district or village, nationwide, said board member Nelson Simanjuntak, who is in Kota Tomohon, South Sulawesi.

He said the supervisory body anticipates some irregularities, such as voter who cast more than one ballot.

In addition to the 190 million registered voters in Indonesia, around 2.03 million Indonesian citizens who live outside the country are registered to participate, according to the Indonesian Elections Commission. Many are migrant workers in Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong. Polls overseas have already taken place, from July 4-6, but there have been reports that some citizens were unable to participate.

Most voters in Indonesia were up long before this morning’s polls opened in order to break the fast before dawn. This year the election coincides with the Islamic fasting month of Ramadan in Muslim majority Indonesia, where around 90% of voters are of the Islamic faith.

Vice presidential candidate Jusuf Kalla casts his vote in south Jakarta. He was accompanied by his wife.

“Today is a decisive day,” he told local media before submitting his ballot. “Insha’Allah it will be successful.” He said a good leader is one who is “close to the people,” and hoped the polls would be safe and honest.

Current President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono votes with his wife Ani near their home in Cikeas, West Java. Mr. Yudhoyono has served as president for 10 years and is prohibited from running again. The Indonesian constitution limits presidents to two terms of five years each.

Mr. Widodo also arrives at his voting station in central Jakarta wearing a brown and yellow traditional batik patterned shirt. Accompanied by his wife, Iriana, he waves to the crowd and flashes the number two with his fingers. The number is his place on the election ballot and has become a popular song created by his legion of rock band supporters.

Mr. Yudhoyono, tells reporters after voting that he hopes both candidates accept the election results regardless of who wins. This year’s election is pretty much the same as those in 2004 and 2009, he adds, calling them direct, peaceful and democratic.

“On this happy occasion I want to say congratulations to the Indonesian people, and I hope this happiness is not stained by bad things,” Mr. Widodo tells reporters at the voting station where he casts his ballot. The popular Jakarta governor battled through hoards of media as he made his way through the station, much as his rival Mr. Subianto did at his voting station in West Java.

“Once again, I say congratulations to all Indonesians who exercise their rights to vote. Today, Indonesia’s future for the next five years will be determined,” said Mr. Widodo.

The Jakarta-based Centre for Strategic and International Studies and Cyrus Network, two leading pollsters, have set up what they’re calling the “War Room” to handle quick counts as the votes come in this afternoon.

A statue of U.S. President Barack Obama as a 10-year-old stands outside Obama’s former school, State Elementary School 01 Menteng, in Jakarta November 7, 2012.

Trivia: Near the polling station where Mr. Widodo just cast his vote is the former elementary school of U.S. President Barack Obama. Mr. Widodo has been called Indonesia’s Obama and often draws parallels to the U.S. president for being an upstart politician who is seen as a man of the people. His campaign for governor involved posters modeled off of those used in Mr. Obama’s 2008 bid for the presidency, and he’s widely seen to represent change in a country looking for a new direction.

Voting closes in Papua, Indonesia’s far eastern province. According to law, quick count results can only be released starting two hours after polls close, but exit poll results have already started circulating.

“The most important thing is the mandate from the people,” Mr. Subianto told the Wall Street Journal after casting his vote. “If the KPU decides A, A it is. If it decides B, B it is,” he added, using the acronym for the Indonesian Elections Commission.

Mr. Subianto also said that if he wins the election his cabinet will be comprised of a combiantion of technocrats and politicians.

“I will look for people who are capable, have visions and are pro-people,” he explained.

Mr. Subianto kissed babies and shook hands with villagers who shouted his name after he cast his ballot.

“Mr. Prabowo, can you please kiss my son’s forehead, we came all the way from Sukabumi,” a father shouted, referring to a regency about 30 kilometers away. When asked how he’d vote by Mr. Subianto, the man replied, “we voted for you.”

Bandung mayor Ridwan Kamil voted in Cibeunying district, Bandung. The mayor is one of a handful of fairly young political outsiders who have entered politics in recent years. Mr. Kamil was an architect and lecturer at the Bandung Institute of Technology before running for mayor and winning in June 2013.

Whoever is elected president, he said during a televised interview, should have a “commitment to the people in remote areas” and “help us develop cities.”

Indonesian women wait in line outside a polling station in Bojongkoneng, Bogor, Indonesia, on July 9.

Voting tip: Voters who have not received an invitation from their local elections commission can vote at the polling station nearest to their current residence by using their local ID as long as they arrive between 12 p.m. and 1 p.m., when the polls close.

Until this year, voters could only vote in the district where they were registered. For many in Jakarta, that meant a lengthy journey back to their hometowns. The government changed the regulation to increase voter participation.

Presidential candidate Megawati Sukarnoputri, left, and her running mate Prabowo Subianto raise their fists during a campaign rally at Gelora Bung Karno stadium in Jakarta, Indonesia, on June 30, 2009.

Ms. Sukarnoputri is part of a rotating cast of characters who have run for the presidency in previous years. Mr. Widodo’s running mate, Jusuf Kalla, has run as president once and vice president twice, including this election. This will also be the second time Mr. Subianto’s name appears on the election ballot (in 2009 he ran with Ms. Sukarnoputri, who is now backing his rival).

Mr. Rajasa, Mr. Subianto’s running mate, has never run for either post but he has served in various cabinet positions since 2001. That makes Mr. Widodo a relative newcomer and outsider in a country where much of the government is still comprised of politicians once tied to Mr. Suharto.

Less than 30 minutes before voting stations close in Jakarta, only 393 of 558 registered voters at a ballot station in the capital’s south have cast their ballots. Ballot officials are calling voters to get out and vote using a public announcement system.

Polls have closed in Indonesia. Voters in the archipelago are spread across roughly 8,000 islands and three time zones. Many areas still lack good infrastructure and electricity. Polls have traditionally closed early to allow voters adequate time to return home safely in daylight and ballot counters enough time to finish counting before night falls.

An Indonesian youth browses his Facebook page at an Internet cafe in Jakarta on June 19, 2013.

As of early this morning Jakarta time, Facebook had recorded more than 200 million election-related interactions (post, comments, shares, likes) on the social media platform since March, just before the legislative elections. More than two-thirds of those interactions were generated by users under the age of 35, according to a Facebook spokesperson.

There are 69 million people actively using Facebook in Indonesia. By comparison, in India, where there are 100 million Facebook users, there were 227 million election-related interactions between April and May, when that country held elections over a period of two months.

CSIS has quick count at Jokowi-JK at 45.17% against Prabowo-Hatta at 42.15%. Kompas has Jokowi-JK at 54% versus Prabowo-Hatta 46%. Saiful Mujani Research and Consulting shows Jokowi-JK at 54.25% against Prabowo-Hatta 45.75%

Quick counts have not begun in Java, the main island and the most populous.

Papuan tribesmen and women wearing traditional costume vote in Jayapura on July 9 located in remote eastern Indonesia’s Papua province.

What’s the difference?

Quick counts measure the vote that goes to each party by counting the actual ballots at a sample of polling stations. Exit polls are polls that ask voters who they’ve voted for as they leave polling stations.

Exit polls can provide deeper analysis because they reveal voter demographics, say pollsters, but many voters also decline to answer.

Why does Java matter? It’s big, dense and accounts for more than half the votes in the country. Since any candidate needs more than 50% of the popular vote to win, that makes Java a key battle ground. Within Java the western province is most important, just think of it like Indonesia’s Ohio.

Java: 108.8 million (around 58% of total votes)

1. West Java: more than 33 million2. East Java: 30.63 million votes3. Central Java: 27.29 million votes

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Next biggest island, Sumatra: more than 45 million votes (around 21% of total votes).

Ms. Sukarnoputri gets emotional, shedding tears ahead of a press conference with Mr. Widodo. The former president, whose daughter Puan is a legislator, is the daughter of Indonesia’s founding president, Sukarno.

A number of civil society groups and supporters of both candidates stepped up their efforts to get voters to the polls today.

One of them was a group called Let’s Vote, which works to inform young voters about the election process. It worked along with petition starter Change.org to create a voter map that collected participation pledges from voters around the country.

Ms. Sukarnoputri, speaking in a televised press conference, gave her “infinite gratitude” to all Indonesians who used their right to vote. “I think this is a phenomenal, monumental result. I also thank all volunteers who’s been orderly, even when they’re fasting. Insha’Allah Indonesia will be more peaceful, prosperous and fair.”

Indonesia’s vice presidential candidate Jusuf Kalla arrives for a ceremony to declare his commitment in taking part in peaceful elections in Jakarta on June 3.

Jusuf Kalla thanked young and first-time voters for their support. “Without the young generation’s support, and the extraordinary first voters, it would be very difficult for us to win this battle,” he said during a televised press conference.

During an interview with The Wall Street Journal last week, 26-year-old Dian Paramita said this acknowledgement of youth — who account for a third of all registered voters — was a main reason she was voting for the Jokowi-JK pair.

“He supports the young generation; he makes us feel like we’re powerful too,” she said. “The other candidates before this election never mentioned the young generation.”

“According to the quick count results from three pollster that we use, we win,” Mr. Mahfud said. “We urge [our] supporters to remain calm. There will be manual count and we will use our data to compare all the results.”

Indonesia’s presidential candidate Joko Widodo (L) and his mother Sujiatmi Notomihardjo pray at the tomb of his father Widjiatno Notomihardjo in the family cemetery, Karanganyar regency, Central Java, on June 14.

Mr. Widodo’s mother, Sudjiatmi, took the stage after her son declared victory on live television and told him to serve his mandate well.

“Thanks to the Indonesian people who support, volunteer for and defend my son,” she said.

Quick count results have been reliable in the past and they come from established pollsters. However, they only account for a fraction of the overall vote in a country where millions participate.

“I think it’s too early,” Yohanes Sulaiman, a lecturer at Indonesian National Defense University, said regarding the definitive victory announcement by Mr. Widodo and his party. “I think the real count will be much closer, around 3%.”

“If I were Mega, I’d call Prabowo first, or at least wait a few more hours,” Mr. Sulaiman added.

Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services, in a report published today, said the outcome of the election would have little impact on Indonesia’s sovereign credit rating, which is currently stable at BB+.

“We expect reform progress to be slow no matter who is elected,” it said in the release, quoting credit analyst Agost Benard. “Any boost to policy making and growth prospects is likely to be insufficient to strengthen the sovereign credit rating.”

Mr. Subianto said in a press conference he had received “the support and the mandate” of the Indonesian people based on early quick count results from the local pollsters they are using as references. The pollsters are the National Survey Institute (LSN), Indonesia Survey Network (JSI) and Puskaptis.

He also urged his supporters to guard the manual count,which will be done by election authorities.

In a close race in 2004, Megawati Sukarnoputri refused to concede defeat to Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. That marked the beginning of a long-running fued that reared its head again when the various parties were deciding who to to back for president in this year’s election.

Tweets coming out in rapid fashion from Mr. Subianto’s Twitter account ask his supporters to guard the vote counting process until an official count is released from the Indonesian Elections Commission. Those results are expected between July 20-22.

“Once again I’m thankful and moved, and honored by people’s trust of this magnitude. Thank you,” his Twitter post reads.

A few hundred of Mr. Widodo’s supporters, many dressed in red (his party’s color) and waving flags, stage a small rally at a major traffic circle in Jakarta. Several dozen police look on. Behind them a banner hangs from a towering statute that reads, “Indonesia Welcomes a New President.”

Fadli Zon, a spokesman for Mr. Subianto and deputy chairman of his Gerindra party, says the Prabowo-Hatta team has won by between 4-5%, based on the results of its trusted pollsters. He said Ms. Sukarnoputri’s victory declaration was a political maneuver, adding, “The quick counts results are just sample.”

President Yudhoyono sent out a message on his Twitter account asking both presidential candidates to restrain from mobilizing the masses to celebrate victory until the results are made official by the elections commission.

“We win in big provinces,” said Hatta Rajasa, Mr. Subianto’s running mate, when asked about the team’s claim to victory. The local election committees will announced the results, he added. “It’s as simple as that.”

Supporters of both candidates have organized celebratory rallies. When asked his thoughts on the duel gatherings, Coordinating Minister for Legal, Political, and Security Affairs, Djoko Suyanto, said in a televised speech: “We need to maintain freedom, but freedom also must be used for goodness, to avoid counterproductive acts. If [the supporters] must rally, at least they have to maintain peace.” He said the authorities would act firmly against any illegal actions.

Indonesian presidential candidate Joko Widodo, popularly known as “Jokowi” , center, delivers his victory speech between the statue of Indonesia’s first President Soekarno, left, and Vice President Mohammad Hatta, right, at the Proclamation Monument in Jakarta.

In the evening twilight, Mr. Widodo addressed a crowd of hundreds of supporters at a monument dedicated to Indonesia’s independence from the Dutch. He read out the results from several pollsters — all putting him and running mate Jusuf Kalla as winners — and thanked Mr. Prabowo and Mr. Rajasa for their respect for democracy and love for the country.

Yet quick counts should be treated with caution, he warned. A narrow victory would “raise more questions than answers about Indonesia - not least if the Subianto camp refuses to concede defeat.”

The prospect of major divisions was also worrisome, he said. “Given the scale of the economic challenge confronting Indonesia’s new president, and the country’s domestic and external vulnerabilities, a divided nation is the worst possible outcome as far as the politics of economic reform are concerned.”

As a long day ends, there are celebrations in the street. Mr. Subianto has not conceded defeat, which means there will be more news and updates in the days to come. Stay tuned for more, but for tonight, we’re signing off.

About Southeast Asia Real Time

Indonesia Real Time provides analysis and insight into the region, which includes Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia, the Philippines, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos and Brunei. Contact the editors at SEAsia@wsj.com.

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